I am endlessly amused by the industry's attempts to court moms. It's been semi-successful over the last few years, with Wii advertising the DS and Wii Fit in womens magazines and such. Most times it just feels so awkward and contrived. It looks like Microsoft is now trying to get a piece of the pie. USA Today reports that Microsoft is paying women to invite friends over for gaming night:
House cleaners, hairdressers, guidance counselors and IT technicians got a $150 pack of Xbox freebies for opening their homes to at least 10 friends or relatives... They got an Xbox party pack of freebies that included microwaveable popcorn, Xbox trivia game Scene It? Box Office Smash, an Xbox universal media remote control, a three-month subscription to Xbox Live, and 1,600 Xbox Live points (used for game, movie and TV show purchases).
Will ladies be interested in spending a couple hundo on casual gaming and social networking, the likes of which they could easily find for free on the Internet? The Xbox 360 does offer a communal atmosphere, but you can always get the gals together for a game of Scene It? with a DVD player.
I'm skeptical, but anything that encourages moms to buy video game consoles can only be a good thing (wink wink mom, Christmas is two days away).
Related Links:
Men Are From Hyrule, Women Are From Simville: If Gender Defines the Games We Play, Why Does Everyone Play By the Same Rules?
Gender Equality Fail: Kombo For Women
A Letter to the Industry: How to Destroy the Female Gender Barricade